According to an AFN poll, the jury clearly is out on Ohio Sen. JD Vance as the vice president in a second Donald Trump administration. That poll reflects minimal "disappointment" in Vance's selection, but roughly two-thirds of respondents either didn't have him at the top of their list – or aren't quite sure what to think just yet. Still, the largest group of respondents describe Vance as an "awesome" pick.
But those thinking Vance – who in the past has been cited for staunch pro-life views – will be the rebuttal to the Republicans’ weakened life commitment in the updated party platform should hold their optimism in check, American Family Association vice president Walker Wildmon said.
Strong language supporting life was removed from the platform at the encouragement of the Trump campaign. The Hyde Amendment, a legislative amendment that took effect in 1980 which bars the use of federal funds to pay for abortion except in cases of rape or the mother’s health, is not mentioned. The previous call to defund Planned Parenthood also is a glaring omission from the new platform.
“When it comes to our issues that we care about like abortion and marriage, JD Vance is just going to do whatever Trump tells him to do. That’s just the hard reality. That’s his vice president,” Wildmon told show host Jenna Ellis Tuesday on American Family Radio.
In a highly publicized race for the Senate seat Vance now holds, his opponent, former Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan, painted Vance as an extremist who would restrict abortion wherever possible.
Vance expressed support for the Supreme Court’s decision to return to states the authority to regulate abortion. He also said he was “totally fine” with “some minimal national standard” of abortion restrictions.
Understanding politics
Vance has shown himself willing to give and take on abortion in order to reach political goals. His website in the 2022 Senate campaign proclaimed Vance as “100 percent pro-life” and called for “eliminating abortion.” However, in a December 2023 appearance on CNN, Vance said:
“We have to accept that people do not want blanket abortion bans. They just don’t. And I say that as a person who wants to protect as many unborn babies as possible. We have to provide exceptions for the life of the mother, for rape and so forth.”
Vance’s views and past statements have resurfaced, at times misrepresented by the Biden campaign according to CNN, as Vance’s name became prominent in Trump’s running mate search. CNN reported last week that Biden’s campaign had distorted Vance comments in two social media posts. One dealt with abortion, the other with The Heritage Foundation and Project 2025.
Wildmon said it’s clear that Vance has been angling to earn Trump’s trust.
“JD Vance may believe that abortion is wrong, and [that the abortion pill] Mifepristone shouldn’t be legal, [but] he said the opposite on CNN last week. He said it should be legal. But if he’s the VP pick, he has to decide, ‘Do I want to be VP, or do I want to hold to my convictions and not be Trump’s VP pick?’
"He’s chosen to be Trump’s VP pick – so on the issues that Trump cares about he’s just going to toe the line. That’s pretty much expected. It’s disappointing, but expected,” the AFA official said.
Still, Wildmon predicts "a lot of good" comes with Vance as Trump's choice for VP. “I think he’s a pretty good pick – [but] I’m not going to say he’s the best," he shared.
"There are others I would have preferred, [such as] an outspoken evangelical Christian, to be one of the top picks. But if I had to pick between [Marco] Rubio, Tim Scott and JD Vance, I would have picked JD Vance because [he] is very aligned with Trump when it comes to staying out of these foreign wars.”
The reality of where we are today
The revised Republican platform was a blow to many party evangelicals. Christians, though, need to remain engaged while understanding their influence isn’t what it was during Trump’s first two White House runs, according to Wildmon.
“We’ve got to be honest about where we are," he stated. "The best place to look as far as where we go from here is the Bible – a shocker, I know. You can look in scripture, in the Old Testament, and even in the New Testament with Paul, there are countless times in scripture where God’s people had to work with pagan leaders.
“Christians are going to have to figure out and learn how to hold to our convictions yet be a Godly influence on our pagan leadership. That’s just where we are today,” Wildmon acknowledged.
He also noted that while Trump won’t be a “moral standard-bearer” for Christians, he was – in his first term – supportive on issues important to believers. “He’s not outright hostile [on those issues] like the Biden administration,” Wildmon said.
